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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25451695">Scared</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RLestat/pseuds/RLestat'>RLestat</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeWeirdBiBoy/pseuds/SomeWeirdBiBoy'>SomeWeirdBiBoy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Major Illness, Stone's scandalous body is the master of persuasion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:07:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,256</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25451695</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RLestat/pseuds/RLestat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeWeirdBiBoy/pseuds/SomeWeirdBiBoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
            <p>It had been two months since Sonic had defeated Robotnik and sent him to the mushroom planet, but something didn’t feel right. Sonic had been feeling strange after the fight, and it was starting to get noticable. </p>
          </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dr. Eggman | Dr. Robotnik &amp; Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr. Eggman | Dr. Robotnik/Agent Stone, Sonic the Hedgehog &amp; Maddie Wachowski, Sonic the Hedgehog &amp; Tom Wachowski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Hide It</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It had been two months since Sonic had defeated Robotnik and sent him to the mushroom planet, but something didn’t feel right. Sonic had been feeling strange after the fight, and it was starting to get noticable. </p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey honey, you gotta wake up for school now, okay?”  Sonic could hear Maddie call to him from down the annoyingly uncarpeted stairs. Her voice was bright, but the noise felt dull in his ears.  He forced himself to climb out of bed; a dizzy nausea struck him almost instantaneously. His eyes, yet to adjust to the spinning room, couldn’t prepare for the journey downstairs. Sonic sauntered down the attic ladder, meekly tripping on nothing and subsequently being thrown down onto the landing below. His quills softened the fall and cushioned the sound, so nobody knew to rush to his side. He felt alone again.  </p><p> </p><p>Sonic begrudgingly stumbled into the kitchen as Maddie filled his plate with eggs and bacon, his favourite breakfast. Sonic was noticeably tired and frail, he didn’t even seem that excited to go to school today. </p><p>“Are you feeling alright, buddy?” Tom asked, gazing up from his own plate. Sonic simply nodded his head as a response. Tom and Maddie shared a look of confusion.</p><p>Sonic was always talking, what was going on?</p><p> </p><p>“You know you can tell us if you're not feeling well, honey,” Maddie expressed her unease</p><p>“Yeah, yeah I know I can,” Sonic mumbled into his eggs, “I better be going. Don’t want to be late for school, right?” He tried his best at a small smile, but each pull of a muscle sparked a bruise-like pain to sear through his jaw. He slipped off his chair and stumbled out of the door, doubling back as he remembered to grab his school bag. Tom and Maddie looked at eachother, confused and concerned. </p><p>Sonic still had 20 minutes before he should have been leaving.  </p><p> </p><p>Sonic had walked the whole way to school with his head towards the ground. It was a rather pleasant day, but Sonic was too dizzy and distracted to notice. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to run, though the numb agony didn’t make running seem all that inviting. It was more like he couldn’t run, no matter how hard he tried. The staring gaze of his peers burnt into him, but he just couldn’t run. His own stagnation consumed him, like shadows to a feeble candle flame.</p><p> </p><p>His whole painful walk was coupled with stumbling, tripping and discombobulation. His head felt numb, like it would give out at any moment. Every step felt like a knife being pushed into his legs, sinking deeper with each sombre movement. He felt something trailing down the side of his mouth, leaving a sickly, metallic remnant as it crept further down. He wiped the area with the side of his arm, leaving a translucent crimson stain that dampened his azure fur. The hedgehog's mind began to race. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Is that blood? No… no it couldn’t be. I’m- I’m fine. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>--------</p><p> </p><p>Back at home, Tom and Maddie were still together at the table, unable to shake their parental fear. They desperately hoped that their strange alien son was alright, but he had woken up so unlike himself that morning. It pained the couple to think that something was wrong. </p><p> </p><p>“Do you think something might have happened at school or-” Maddie started.</p><p>“No way. Someone would have told us. He would have told us!” Tom refused to believe that any school nonsense could have hurt his son that bad. </p><p>They spent a short while speculating, but no amount of theorising could comfort them.</p><p>“Listen,” Tom spoke again, “Maybe he’s just real tired. He’ll be fine by tomorrow.”</p><p>“Really? You promise he’s fine?” </p><p>“Of course! He’ll be back to never shutting up before the sun sets,” Tom said as he checked his watch. He was definitely going to be late for work. “Jesus, look at the time. I have to go make sure Wade hasn't blown up the station or anything.” </p><p>Tom left for the door, looking back to once again reassure his wife. </p><p> </p><p>“He’ll be okay, honey.”</p><p> </p><p>--------</p><p> </p><p>During school, learning was a struggle for Sonic. His usual wonder for learning was smothered by his constant nausea, which left him unable to pay any attention to what the teachers were saying. This didn’t exactly please the teachers, and so they started to target Sonic for any question they had asked. Every question fired at him was followed by laughing from his peers, all mocking him for his wrong answers. Sinking to his chair was the only thing he could do. He felt so embarrassed and sick; he just wanted the day to be over.</p><p> </p><p>Even lunch was unenjoyable. Sonic felt much too sick to do so much as think about eating his pizza bagel. Biting was too much effort; chewing was unthinkable. He knew Maddie would be upset to see that he had not eaten the food she prepared for him, but his arms and legs were too weak to carry him to any bin. </p><p> </p><p>It seemed ironic that today was the only day that the school bullies had not tried to steal his lunch from him. His head was spinning, and he almost didn’t hear the bell over the fuzziness in his brain. Everything that could go wrong seemed to be doing so. Disasters and misfortune were intertwining, cultivating into the hollow pain in Sonic’s stomach. </p><p> </p><p>--------</p><p> </p><p>Sonic returned home later that day, feeling no better from when he left. </p><p> </p><p>Hearing the door shut, Maddie got up and greeted Sonic with a ‘welcome home’ hug. A hug that felt like it was going to eject all of Sonic’s internal structures out of his mouth.  </p><p>“Did you have a good day, sweetie?” Maddie asked with a soft smile.</p><p>“It was fine, I guess,” Sonic muttered in reply, dropping his school bag by the door.</p><p>Maddie’s smile quickly dissipated and morphed into worry.</p><p>“Sonic, honey, can we talk for a minute?” Maddie asked, walking to the living room, pacing herself slowly so that Sonic didn’t have to rush to catch up.</p><p> </p><p>“Am I in trouble?” Sonic hesitated while stumbling behind Maddie.</p><p>“What? Honey, no, of course not. Why would you be in trouble?”</p><p>Sonic hauled himself onto the couch.</p><p>“Well…I wasn’tdoingwellatschooltoday- becauseiwasn’tpayingattention and-” Sonic blurted out.</p><p>“Sonic listen, I know what’s going on, you’re not well. I think you’ve got a pretty good excuse.” </p><p>“Bu-but-”</p><p>“I know how good you’ve been in school lately. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t suddenly drop in performance unless there was something going on.”</p><p> </p><p>Sonic’s tired eyes began to water, “You’re… not mad?” he sniffled.</p><p>“Of course not, sweetie! I could never be mad at you! Unless, you know, you burn the house down or something.” Maddie jokes in response.</p><p>Tears started to streak down the blue hedgehog’s face, caressing the curves of his sarcastic grin, staining his muzzle and dripping onto the couch, “Don’t rule out that possibility just yet, Pretzel Lady,” Sonic challenged while wiping his tears with his arms.</p><p> </p><p>“Aww baby, come here,” Maddie reached out her arms for a hug. As she made contact with his quills, a static shock was sent through her nerves. </p><p>“Oh my god, I am so sorry,” Sonic’s tears flowed heavier than Maddie had ever seen, his breathing growing more rapid as panic set in. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, sorry sorry sor-”</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey buddy shhhh look at me, hey,” Maddie cut off his streaming apologies. “I’m okay, look at me. I’m okay.”</p><p>Sonic peered up towards Maddie, his eyes glistening with his own pain. </p><p>Maddie hurried out of the room, returning hastily with a small towel.</p><p>“This should work,” Maddie lifted the towel up to pat away the tears.</p><p> </p><p>She had barely started when Sonic began to yawn. This wasn’t any sort of unusual, until the deep breath of a yawn was replaced with a soft bleat. Sonic’s tired look was replaced with that of shock and embarrassment as Maddie tried to stifle laughter. His cheeks turned a strong shade of red and he hid his face in his hands.</p><p>“Sounds like someone’s a little sleepy,” Maddie snorted as she wrapped Sonic in the partially damp towel. </p><p> </p><p>Maddie scooped up the blue hedgehog and headed over to the attic door, all the while Sonic was quietly murmuring about how he wasn’t tired and that he was going to miss baseball practice. Maddie looked down at him and gave an exasperated smile. She really hated the fact that Sonic would have to miss something he loved so much.</p><p><em> But hey, he’ll be well enough to go next week, right? </em> Maddie tried to keep her thoughts optimistic as she hauled her son up to his room. </p><p> </p><p>Sonic flopped onto his bed with a small groan.</p><p>“Come on, Sonic. You’ll feel so much better after a nap, and you need to be well rested for movie night later!” Maddie pleaded.</p><p>Sonic smiled weakly at the thought of movie night.</p><p>“Keanu...” he whispered half happily into his pillow. </p><p> </p><p>--------</p><p> </p><p>An hour or so had passed and Sonic’s eyes were only now able to open. His mouth was almost dry enough to send his senses insane. He didn’t have nearly enough energy to get out of bed, but his fear of disappointing Maddie managed to overpower his fragility and shove him down the stairs. </p><p> </p><p>His stuffed nose couldn’t pick up any scent in the house. He could, however, hear the sound of sizzling, though it was barred by a numbness in his ears. Puppy-dog eyes peered up at the chilli dogs that Maddie had prepared for the family. He wanted to smile in delight, but the action tore at his cheeks and sent a struggling ache through his muscles. </p><p> </p><p>Maddie heard his ghostly footsteps and turned around to greet him with open arms, but the sight she was met with weighed down on her limbs like no yoga pose ever could. Sonic looked so much worse than before. His quills had faded to a sickly shade of eggshell blue. His eyes were sunken and cold, contrasting the neon green that had been there before. The solemn silence was only broken when the front door burst open. Tom waltzed through the door with his signature “Hello, sweetie!” and dropped his bags on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“Work was so looong, but hey, at least Wade didn’t manage to destroy the place so that’s great!” Not a single syllable was spoken without a chirping laugh behind it. </p><p>Tom gave a hearty sigh before looking down to see his hedgehog son. His heart immediately slowed at the sight. He barely recognised the creature standing before him.</p><p>“Hey...Buddy. How was, uh, how was school today?” The fright was apparent in his voice, slipping through the cracks in his wavering cheer.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic didn’t reply. All he could manage in that moment was a meek shuffle over to Tom, falling into his arms on impact. This was partially due to the weakness in his legs, and partially due to his longing for any sort of warmth that could counteract his own glacial existence. He couldn’t even cry. </p><p> </p><p>Tom was entirely unsure of how to react. His eyes panicked and darted to his wife in search of what to do, but she was equally as scared and could offer no solace.</p><p>“Come on bud, you’re alright. Look! Mads made chilli dogs for us!” His encouragement quivered; the hand he had on Sonic’s back shook. </p><p>“C’mon boys,” Maddie tried desperately to keep things as they had always been. She’d make dinner, they’d watch a Keanu Reeves movie together and everything would be fine. </p><p>“Everything is ok,” she whispered under her breath.</p><p>“What was that, dear?” </p><p>“Oh, nothing,” she smiled. “Come on, we can’t leave Jack Traven waiting now, can we?”</p><p> </p><p>Sonic’s ears perked up a little when he heard this, and immediately started wandering to the living room in a trembling silence.</p><p>“Here buddy, let me help you,” Tom offered as he grabbed his son’s hand and guided him to the couch. It was a struggle to keep his other hand from slipping off of Sonic’s drooping shoulder.</p><p>Maddie couldn’t help but release some of the tears that had collected in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>The family took their usual spots on the couch, the food decorated the table in its usual fashion. Even Ozzy jumped his usual jump onto the couch in the most awkward way possible. All but one was where it should be. Sonic was out of place. They could all feel it. The TV glow burned into their faces. A single chilli dog grew cold. </p><p> </p><p>“I need…” Every word Sonic croaked out was torture. </p><p>“Wattt-wa,” Every letter stuck in his painfully dry throat, scraping at his tongue as they fought to escape. </p><p>“Wat-terr.” </p><p>“Do you need any help, sweetie?” Maddie entreated, almost pleading for Sonic to allow her to help him. </p><p>Sonic didn’t want to cause any more trouble than he believed he already had, and so he gently swayed his head horizontally to deny her offer.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic clambered off of the couch, slinking off into the hall.</p><p>He just needed to make it to the kitchen. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>CRASH</em> </b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Help!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cacophonous noise emanating from the other side of the house grabbed the attention of the couple, taunting their parental instincts and making them spring from their places to dash to the kitchen. They truly feared what they saw. Sonic, their precious son, was draped across the floor, with a glass of water shattered besides him. The tiles were singed by the last burst of energy escaping his quills.</p><p>“Sonic!?” Maddie screamed as the couple rushed to Sonic’s aid.<br/>“Sonic! Are you ok? Speak to us!” Tom yelled but to no avail. Sonic wasn’t responding.<br/>Maddie leaned over to hear Sonic’s heartbeat, her face pale as her ear found the sound.<br/>“Tom… his.. his heart,” Maddie tapped out a regular rhythm on the floor. Slow, meticulous.</p><p> </p><p>“You start the car, I’ll carry him!” Tom ordered as he promptly lifted his son and sprinted to the car.<br/>They were both sobbing as they raced to get out of the house and to the truck. Maddie tripped on the way there, more focused on getting the engine running than her own safety. Tom collided viciously with the door in his hurry, he opened the backdoor and gently lowered the hedgehog inside.<br/>“It’s gonna be ok, buddy”, Tom mumbled in an attempt to assure Sonic, and very possibly himself too.<br/>“You’re going to be fine”.</p><p> </p><p>No response.</p><p> </p><p>Tom faltered in place, his muscles tried to inhibit him from moving away. It took him a moment of bouncing his heels in place before he was able to dash away to the drivers door, which he slammed open with a disregard for any damage this action could do to the car. Maddie fell into the seat beside him, her neck aching due to her constant glances behind to the back seat.</p><p>These glances were eventually confronted by scarlet blood seeping from Sonic’s mouth.</p><p>“Can you try and figure out what’s wrong with him!?” Tom frantically directed.<br/>“I’m trying, Tom! I’ve never seen an illness do something like this!”</p><p>Maddie’s mind raced with questions, like a tornado through a cornfield. How could a cold do this? Why was his heart rate so low compared to last time? Will he be ok? The way in which Sonic was breathing was immediately distinct to her. The way the animation of his chest dived between a rapid heave and a sluggish struggle frightened her immensely.</p><p>This was going to be a very long drive.<br/>----------</p><p>As soon as they reached the hospital, Tom grabbed his son and sprinted to the building without a care for anything else except the wellbeing of the hedgehog in his arms, Maddie promptly followed not too far behind.</p><p>Tom barged through the door, making sure to cover Sonic as he was doing so, and quickly started darting through the waiting room, growing ever more careless the more he thought about the possibility of being too late.<br/>“Somebody!? Please, help!” Tom shouted to anyone who could hear.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity, a staff member emerged from behind the front desk and walked over to the couple.<br/>“Hello, I am Dr-”<br/>The doctor hadn’t noticed the blue mass in Tom’s arms until now.<br/>“What the Hell-”<br/>“You can’t let him die please..” Tom continued to yell, the words burning up in his throat.<br/>“Sir, I’m sorry, but I don’t even know what that thing is.”<br/>“He… he’s my son, please.”<br/>“Sir, you have to understand that there is no feasible way we can help your, uh, son.” The nonchalance in the staff member’s voice fueled the seething fire inside both Wachowskis.<br/>“Excuse m-” Maddie tried to interrupt, her voice cold despite the scorching flames lit by her fury. She was cut off.<br/>“There’s nothing we can do. It’s not human.”</p><p>Maddie could feel the heat radiating from not only her own face, but Tom’s too.<br/>“Come on, Tom. We don’t have enough time to waste on these people,” she said, turning to leave and wanting Tom to leave with her.<br/>Tom could feel his eyes starting to sting, it almost felt like a burn to him, streaking down his face in the form of a droplet of water.<br/>“Tom-”<br/>“No. You know what,” Tom stared into the staff member’s face. “ Fuck you. My son could be dying and you won’t even fucking try?? You won’t even care? What the fuck is wrong with you?!”<br/>Tom stormed out of the building, still cursing the hospital down as he got back into the truck.</p><p>-----------</p><p>Tom slammed on the accelerator, his eyes still burning, stronger than before, yelling as he sped off to God knows where.<br/>“Shit!” he screamed into the dash, “What the Hell are we supposed to do now?!<br/>Maddie winced at the sound.<br/>“The only God damn hospital we can go to with him won’t even try to fucking help!”<br/>Her husband had been angry before, sure, but never like this.<br/>“FUCK!”<br/>“THOMAS!”<br/>“WHAT?!”<br/>Maddie glared at Tom, pointing to the backseat where Sonic began to stir. Tom immediately felt the regret as he turned his head to see the semi-conscious kid.</p><p>“D...D-Donut Lord..?” Sonic whimpered through the echoes of his coughing. He was too out of it to notice the mosaic maroon lacing his gloves.<br/>Tom looked back down to his lap, gulping deeply.<br/>“Just..stop yelling, please..” Maddie was shaking. “What can we do now?”<br/>Tom and Maddie were trying to think, to come up with anything to do, but their minds were sinking. The darkness was growing darker. Silence and doubt danced a macabre waltz together, inviting all else to join them.</p><p>“P-pretzel Lady?” a small voice called out. “ Donut Lord? Am…” He paused to breath.</p><p>“Am I going to die?”</p><p>The question smothered the Wachowskis like tar in a lake. Neither Tom nor Maddie could bring themselves to say anything. They couldn’t bring themselves to lie. The lack of an answer weighed down on Sonic; he had never felt more helpless.<br/>”We’re going to find some help, ok sweetie?” Maddie reassured as soon as she mustered up the courage to do so.<br/>Sonic tried to force a smile in response, even though he was very much aware of the agony it would cause. He just had to appear strong for Tom and Maddie. He had to.</p><p>Sonic was so tired. He was exhausted. He had only been awake for a minute or two, but his eyes grew heavier and he drifted off into a terrifyingly deep slumber.</p><p>Tom and Maddie sat there in absolute darkness, searching for an answer.</p><p>Then Tom recalled something.</p><p>He had Agent Stone’s number. The agent had come by after his boss’ sudden mysterious disappearance, asking whether they knew anything or had seen him since then. Of course, with Robotnik being trapped on an alien planet, the Wachowskis had very little information to give. Stone had given his contact details to Tom.<br/>“Just in case,” he had said, handing over the business card.</p><p>“I have an idea,” Tom began tentatively, “It might be… It’s definitely risky, but I don’t think we have any other choice.”<br/>Maddie turned to face her husband, “What is it?”<br/>“Remember that weird agent who came by asking about that Robotnik guy?”<br/>Maddie paused, “Are you sure? I’m pretty sure he won’t want to help.”<br/>“We have too, it’s our only option. Unless you have another idea,” Tom said, knowing she didn’t have such a thing.<br/>Tom reached into his bag, pulling out his phone and handing it to Maddie.</p><p>“Call him”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Doctor, please</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The phone rang from across the room, illuminating the small space it inhabited. <br/>It was quite odd to be receiving a call so late at night, but it was answered anyway.</p><p>“Agent Stone speaking.”</p><p>The agent expected quite a few different things when he picked up the phone: meeting requests, an order from a higher-up, a complaint about his boss (the most likely of the three). What he did not expect was the frantic cries of a former mission. </p><p>“Mrs Wachowski?”<br/>Robotnik’s head jerked up upon hearing that name.<br/>“Stone? This is Stone right? Robotnik’s assistant?” <br/>“Yes, that is me,” Stone began, “But the doctor has returned, so I really don’t know wh-”<br/>“It’s Sonic. I don’t have time to explain. He needs help. Please,” Maddie begged into the speaker, not quite comprehending the somewhat ridiculousness of who she wanted help from. <br/>Stone glanced over to his boss, who had been glaring at the agent the entire time. <br/>“Stone.” Robotnik said sternly, eyebrows arched in disapproval. <br/>Stone knew this wasn’t going to end well for him, but he couldn’t help but feel empathy for the Wachowskis. He turned his eyes away from Robotnik, not wanting to see his initial reaction. <br/>“We’ll help you. We’re at the giant field outside of Green Hills,” Stone hung up.</p><p>“Stone! Have you finally lost the last of the cells in that miniscule brain of yours?”<br/>“Doctor, I’m sorry but I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing when something is cleary wrong!” Stone objected, probably for the first time, against the doctor.<br/>“Stone. Think about this logically, not that you can: you are bringing someone here, who has sent me to a world with nothing but gross, disgusting mushrooms! And you expect me to help them?!” Robotnik yelled in response, baffled that even Stone would be so idiotic.<br/>“This conversation is over, Stone.”</p><p>Stone reached out and grabbed Robotnik’s arm, stopping him from leaving.<br/>“Doctor, please? At least do it for me?” Stone pleaded, not quite sure as to why he thought that would work.<br/>Robotnik locked eyes with Stone. He couldn’t say no to those eyes no matter how hard he tried. Robotnik pulled his arm from Stone’s hand and turned back to his monitors.<br/>“Fine. Don’t make me regret this, Stone,” Robotnik reluctantly obliged.<br/>“Thank you, doctor.”<br/>“Shut up, Stone.” Robotnik wanted to sneer at his agent’s gratitude, but this he found difficult to do against the small smile that tugged at his lips.  Whether he would admit it or not, the doctor liked to see Stone happy. </p><p>Neither of them could anticipate what was to come. All they could do was wait.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Be strong</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Wachowskis arrived next to the mobile lab; the half hour it took to get there had been excruciating for everyone. The car came to a halt, and Tom immediately leaped out and banged on the shiny panel that he assumed was the door to the lab. Stone was quick to let them in. </p><p>Robotnik spun his chair dramatically, turning to face who he considered to be intruders.<br/>“Good evening, Wachowskis!” There wasn’t a hint of sincerity in his greeting.<br/>“Hello again, Tom, whose dentist calls him ‘Tim’. Oh, marvelous! It seems that your beloved ‘Collateral Damage’ has joined you once again!”<br/>“Ummm, doctor?” Stone tried to intervene, not wanting Robotnik to make things worse.<br/>“You have some nerve on you, coming to me for help after what you did. Let me tell you: mushrooms are disgusting.”<br/>“Doctor-”<br/>Tom and Maddie glanced at each other, on the edge of regret. <br/>“I don’t see why you would want to help that thing anyway-”<br/>“DOCTOR!” Stone snapped. </p><p>Robotnik's eyes flashed in fury. He twisted his head sideways, preparing to shout at his assistant for having the audacity to yell at him. He had barely opened his mouth when Stone tilted his head towards Maddie, who had been standing behind Tom until now. </p><p>The doctor raised his eyebrow in curious disbelief. He turned his attention first to Maddie, and then to what was in her arms. His eyes widened as his vision aligned with the battered hedgehog.<br/>“Holy sh-”<br/>Robotnik swallowed the slight concern that sat in his throat. His pupils darted across the room, not wanting to make eye contact with the family at his door. The silence was awkward and heavy. <br/>“Doc…” Stone’s voice was soft but insistent. <br/>Robotnik snapped out of the dissociative trance he didn’t realise he was in, “Oh, right, yeah.”</p><p>Robotnik lifted himself out of his seat and walked over to a seemingly bare wall. A few beeps from his glove and a sigh later, a section of the wall opened up to form a small table. Robotnik silently beckoned Maddie over, allowing her to let Sonic rest on the soft blanket that Stone had already laid down. Maddie’s hands trembled as she let go of Sonic for the first time in hours. </p><p>-------------</p><p>40 minutes or so had passed in mostly silence, only interrupted every now and then by Sonic coughing and wheezing. Maddie couldn’t take the quiet anymore. She removed herself from Tom’s arms and shakily walked over to the table. Robotnik didn’t register her presence until she spoke to him.<br/>“Hey, look. I’m sorry we rushed over here out of the blue,” she choked on the word ‘blue’, “We didn’t know what else to do. If anyone could help, it would be you, right?”<br/>Robotnik glanced over to her; he didn’t know how to respond. After a moment, he gave a weak nod and returned to face Sonic. </p><p>“P…..pretze-el Lady,,” a fragile croak called out.<br/>Maddie relapsed into tears almost instantly. Sonic sounded nothing like himself, so unlike her son. <br/>“Donn’t cr-cry Pretzel L-l-lady,” Sonic tried to reach out to Maddie, but despite his best efforts, he couldn’t move his limbs. His attempts only stretched his remaining strength thinner. <br/>“Ju-” his sentence was broken by a fit of coughing, “Just…. Ssssmile for-r me. I’ll be o-okay,” Sonic’s eyes were watering. “You have an am-mazing smile…” He whispered through the blood, the nostalgia in his voice making it all the more painful. His eyes began to close again, the only indication of the hedgehog being alive was the rising and falling motion of his chest.<br/>Maddie started to sob violently. The only reason she didn’t fall to the floor in her agony was because Tom had wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her in close, and began crying himself. </p><p>----------</p><p>Robotnik worked nonstop on the hedgehog for hours. He was determined to figure out exactly what the issue was, despite telling himself that he didn’t care. Sonic had stopped stirring as much as he had before. Time was limited. Tools were scattered across the lab floor, pages upon pages of notes and equations were stacked on desks and pinned to walls. The answer was getting closer, but always seemed to be running further away. Robotnik was hyper focused on the task at hand, so much so he had even neglected to drink his latte. His brain whirred and his hands whizzed and-</p><p>“Laser radiation…”  </p><p>Robotnik paused.</p><p>“It was m-” He cut himself off, not wanting anyone to hear his conclusion.<br/>He looked over his shoulder to see Tom and Maddie still holding each other in the corner of the lab. A new and unknown feeling washed over Robotnik. It was some kind of burning sadness mixed with regretful wishing. The harsh look he always kept in the facade of his eyes softened. <br/>“Agent Stone,” he called for his assistant, who was at his side in an instant.<br/>“What is it, doctor?”<br/>Robotnik’s hushed orders confused Stone, but the agent knew better than to question.</p><p>Stone worked very efficiently, and not a moment had passed before he was sat down with the Wachowskis, holding some simple sandwiches and coffee. <br/>“The doctor wanted me to bring you these,” Stone said, handing over the food with a genuine smile. “It’s not much, but it is better than starving.”<br/>Tom and Maddie took the food and looked up to Robotnik, but his back was turned away from them, still working. <br/>“Tell him we’re grateful,” Tom said, already taking a large bite out of his food.<br/>Stone turned his head to look at the doctor. He could see past what the Wachowskis assumed was just a strange method of work. He saw the shaking in Robotnik’s hand, the trembling in his shoulders, and the subtle way he raised his glove to his face to wipe away… something.<br/>“He knows,” Stone replied. </p><p>Across the room, Robotnik was trying to stabilise himself. He’d be damned if anyone saw him acting so pathetic. He snarled into the glove that was covering his mouth, forcing his emotions to convert into a suitable work ethic. He had discovered the root cause of Sonic’s illness, now all he had to do was finalise the correct cures. Simple. It wouldn’t take long to put his answers into action, and then the Wachowskis could leave and he would be alone again. </p><p>Stone, still sitting with the Wachowskis, watched as Robotnik flipped his coat and sped out of the room. He was still watching as the doctor returned with various pieces of high tech equipment. The agent didn’t understand why the doctor hadn’t just asked him to do it. Robotnik’s behaviour was getting more uncharacteristic by the second. </p><p>Stone shifted his eyes over to Tom and Maddie, making sure they would be alright if he left them to stand with Robotnik. Given the situation, they seemed to be coping well enough, so he stood up and paced the length of the lab to reach his boss.</p><p>“Hello, d-”<br/>“Shhhshshshsh”<br/>Stone was immediately silenced, and stepped to the side to spectate Robotnik’s work instead of actively participating in it. Robotnik looked like he had forgotten to blink. His eyes were red and wide, glitching from side to side as they strained themselves to keep up with his hands. </p><p>---------</p><p>Robotnik had been slaving away over the hedgehog for hours now. Most of that time was spent writing the same equations over and over again as he waited for certain chemicals to set in (which was extremely infuriating for him, and led to him becoming very jittery and impatient). Various iodine solutions lay scattered upon the table, many spilling out onto the floor in an impetuous frenzy. It was a less than professional scene, performed on a clearly reckless but not at all amateurish stage.    <br/>He looked behind him to see that Tom and Maddie had succumbed to their exhaustion and were sleeping in the corner. The corner of his mouth raised a little when he noticed the blankets and pillows that they had been provided with, presumably from Stone, who had been in and out of the lab all night trying to keep the Wachowskis comfortable. He zoned out looking at them, so much so that he barely noticed the shuffling from the table. </p><p>“Eggman…?” The voice was frail and husky, but it was alive. </p><p>Robotnik flung himself around, eyes wide and mouth ajar. Sonic was sat up, blinking, getting used to the light that had been a stranger to him for so many hours. </p><p>“Holy shit! You’re awake!” Robotnik exclaimed, surprised by his own delight.<br/>Sonic opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped in his tracks.<br/>“No no no don’t try to talk just yet, okay?” Robotnik said gently, before raising his voice to address Stone, “Agent Stone! Go fetch a hot chocolate for Sonic. Quickly. Oh, and add some of this.”<br/>Robotnik handed a small bottle to Stone, the label ‘ondansetron’ being the only indication that this was other than a petty poison attempt.<br/>“Mmmm hot choccy,” Sonic hummed warmly. </p><p>Robotnik raced over to the corner where Tom and Maddie were sleeping. He placed his hands on their shoulders, shaking them awake. <br/>“Hey hey hey hey wake up!”<br/>The couple jerked awake, expecting the worst. Robotnik leaned to the side, giving the couple a direct view of the table. The doctor was given no time to continue; Tom and Maddie had already leaped from their places. <br/>“Sonic!!” They cried, both of them fighting to hug Sonic first. They were sobbing as they wrapped their arms around the hedgehog.<br/>“H-hey Maddie,” Sonic sniffled, pressing his eyes into Maddie’s shoulder, “Hey Tom.”<br/>“Hey, buddy,” Tom smiled with warm tears in his eyes, holding one of Sonic’s hands between his own two. <br/>Their family was whole again.</p><p>Robotnik had kept himself away from the table, not wanting to intrude upon the reunion. Watching the Wachowskis made him feel strange. It wasn’t jealousy, exactly. It felt warmer than that. The weirdest part to him was that he didn’t want to reject these feelings. </p><p>“He’s still a bit fragile, but he should be back to normal relatively soon,” informed Robotnik. <br/>The Wachowskis jumped when they heard his voice; their joy had caused them to momentarily forget that Robotnik was there. <br/>“I apologise for interrupting-”<br/>He was almost instantly cut off when he felt something tug at the bottom of his coat.<br/>Sonic had left his spot on the table and was now tightly hugging the doctor's leg. Robotnik turned to look at his assistant, who was giving him a sort of ‘just let it happen’ look. Robotnik bent down to be at a closer height to the emotional hedgehog at his feet. <br/>“Thank you… so much,” Sonic whispered. </p><p>Robotnik was speechless. Being thanked with such sincerity by someone who wasn’t Stone was a rare occasion for him. He smiled, gently and awkwardly, at Sonic.<br/>“Well… we couldn’t have those two morons running around without their silly little alien now, could we? Now, get off my leg. I’m not your parent,” Robotnik said sarcastically, pushing the hedgehog back to Tom and Maddie. </p><p>“I suppose you lot will be off then,” Robotnik said, almost sadly. “Stone, get them some food for the road.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“C’mon Sonic, let’s go home,” Tom started walking, stopping only when he realised Sonic was yet to follow. “What is it, kid?”<br/>“Please can I run home instead? I know the way!”<br/>Maddie nodded in approval, and Tom trusted the vet entirely, so he allowed it. <br/>“Sure, bud, just be safe, alright?”</p><p>Sonic could hardly contain his excitement. He had zoomed halfway out the door, when he paused. He had an idea. Sonic motioned for Tom to lean down. Maddie followed suit. <br/>“We have a lot of spare space outside the house, r-right?” Sonic whispered, his stuttering was noticeably less.<br/>“Yes…?” Tom replied, throwing his confused glances between his wife and son. <br/>“Do you think...maybe...” Sonic lowered his voice even further, “...There’s enough space for a large-ish sized van/lab… maybeplease-” </p><p>Tom and Maddie were somewhat skeptical at first, but the look on Sonic’s face pushed them to oblige. They really did love how forgiving and friendly their kid was. <br/>Tom didn’t directly reply to Sonic’s question, instead telling him to, “Go on home, your bed misses you,” with a grin. <br/>Sonic wasn’t quite sure what this meant in terms of an answer, but he couldn’t hold in his energy anymore. It was returning so quickly, and he had to have an outlet. <br/>“Thanks again, Eggface!” Sonic’s voice faded as he rushed out of the lab door. </p><p>Tom chuckled to himself as he watched Sonic race off. He loved how excitable his son was, even more so after such a huge scare. <br/>“See you back at h-!” Maddie started to yell, stopping when she realised Sonic was already far out of earshot. She chuckled too. </p><p>---------</p><p>Sonic was ecstatic. He hadn’t felt this good in a while. He let his arms fly with the wind, like sails on a beloved boat that had been stuck in the docks for too long. It was a little cold out, but the chill felt like Heaven to the hedgehog. Some of his muscles still ached, but he didn’t care. He could finally move again, and every moment was bliss. </p><p>As soon as Sonic arrived back at his house, he flung himself onto the couch. He had about two seconds of peace before a certain fluffy friend padded into the room and hopped on to the couch with him, relentlessly licking Sonic’s quills. <br/>“Ozzy!!!” Sonic exclaimed, “Ahahaha, stop that tickles!”<br/>Sonic wrapped his arms tight around the family dog. <br/>“Didn’t think I’d ever miss a second-best animal friend so much.”</p><p>----------<br/>Tom and Maddie were still in Robotnik’s lab. Tom looked at Maddie, tilting his eyes towards Robotnik to signal that she should carry out what Sonic had asked of them. Robotnik had his back turned, seemingly talking to Stone. </p><p>“Excuse me, Dr Robotnik?” Maddie called out to him. She breathed in deeply, building up courage.<br/>“Yes, Mrs Wachowski?” <br/>“We wanted to ask you something.”<br/>Maddie stepped closer to Robotnik. She grabbed Tom’s wrist and pulled him with her.</p><p>“So, Sonic had this idea, and we completely understand if you don’t want to, but uh-” Maddie started, looking at Tom for reassurance. He gave her a confident smile. “We were wondering if… if, perhaps, you wanted to permanently park your lab outside our house. You know- like neighbours. And you could come visit whenever you wanted…” Maddie had been looking down nervously as she spoke. She looked up just in time to see the shocked expression displayed across Robotnik’s face. <br/>“A-again, you don’t have to-”<br/>“No no, just- Could I have a moment to speak to Stone quickly?” Robotnik didn’t wait for a reply. He turned on his heel, snapping his fingers to signify to Stone that he was to follow. The two of the ducked into a separate room. </p><p>“Sir-?” Stone questioned, his back pinned uncomfortably against the shelves of the small storage room that he had followed his boss into.  <br/>“What do we do?” Robotnik asked, with a hint of uncertainty in his voice.<br/>“Sir, surely you would kn-”<br/>“No. Stone, I want your input on this,” Robotnik insisted. <br/>Stone, no matter how much he tried, could never manage to figure out the doctor. <br/>“Well...sir...I suppose it couldn’t hurt? To move the lab?...” Stone suggested. He was hesitant, but Robotnik didn’t seem to be getting angry with him, so he continued.  “I mean… we haven’t really stayed anywhere since the government tried to wipe you from existence… and all that.” <br/>Robotnik thought to himself for a moment. <br/>“I’m sorry, sir. I shouldn’t have-”<br/>“You’re right, Stone,” Robotnik interrupted, “You’re getting annoyingly good at being right.”<br/>Stone wasn’t sure whether he should be pleased or offended. <br/>“Wait, really?” <br/>“Yes, really! Don’t act so surprised every time I compliment you,” Robotnik rolled his eyes at his flustered assistant, “Come on, get your ass back to the main room.” </p><p>Back in the main room of the lab, Tom and Maddie were waiting nervously. They perked up when the adjacent door slammed open and shut. The couple stared at Robotnik and Stone, afraid to say anything. <br/>“So… uh…” Tom started, trying to put an end to the increasingly awkward silence. <br/>Stone sighed at the pouting doctor, realising that Robotnik wouldn’t want to say it himself.</p><p>“We would love to.”</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. One big family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tom and Maddie pushed open their front door, Robotnik and Stone lagging behind after  parking their lab. Maddie smiled as she saw Sonic out of the corner of her eye, his blue quills poking at Ozzy’s golden fur. The two were passed out on the couch, snoring. Tom put his hands on his hips in a dad-like manner, before stepping over to Sonic and lifting him up.<br/>
“Come on, bud. Let's get you to bed.” </p><p>Sonic awoke with a jolt.<br/>
“But I wanna finish movie night!” Sonic whined through his yawns.<br/>
“No, sweetie, “ Maddie came to Tom’s side, “You’ve had a real rough night, we can have movie night tomorrow.”<br/>
“Hgggh fiiine,” Sonic groaned, though he was secretly happy to be able to sleep. </p><p>-------------</p><p>Tom was just about to leave after giving Sonic the time to get into bed, but stopped before he reached the exit. He had to know why Sonic had been so secretive about his pain.<br/>
“Sonic?”<br/>
“Yeah, Donut Lord?” A reply came from the other side of the room.<br/>
“Can we talk for a minute? I need to ask you something”</p><p>“Ugggggh really? I was just getting comfortable!” Sonic sarcastically remarked while sitting up. Sonic chuckled, “Nah, what is it, Tom?”<br/>
Tom walked over to the bed and sat down beside the hedgehog.<br/>
“Are you feeling ok still?”<br/>
“Never been better, Donut Lord!” Sonic quickly replied with a grin.<br/>
Tom smiled to himself, “Good, good.”  </p><p>“But, why didn’t you tell us that you were sick?”</p><p>Sonic’s eyes travelled to the attic floor, a single spark traced his cobalt fur, he had hoped that they wouldn’t ask that question.<br/>
“Kiddo?”<br/>
“It’s just… I didn’t...I felt like…” Sonic started to choke on his words as tears once again welled in his sparkling eyes.<br/>
“Come on, buddy. It’s not like I’ll be mad or anything,” Tom reassured.<br/>
Sonic looked everywhere other than Tom, until he ran out of places to hide and was left with no choice but to acknowledge the conversation. His quills flickered, like soft rain on a neon sign. </p><p>“I’m supposed to be brave. I’m supposed to be strong. I’m not… I can’t be w-weak.”<br/>
“Oh, Sonic-”<br/>
“I have to be alright! I’m the fun, happy little space rodent!” Every letter made it increasingly harder to hold back the guilt ridden water in his eyes, “What am I if not that?!”<br/>
Tom quickly pulled Sonic in for a warm embrace, “Normal, Sonic”.</p><p>Sonic smiled into Tom’s upper arm. The sorrow in his tears melted away, leaving behind the residue of contentedness on the fur of his cheek.<br/>
“Thanks, dad.” Sonic spoke softly, without thinking. The realisation of what he had said hit him like a chilli dog dropped to the floor, leaving him groaning in embarrassment.<br/>
Tom stifled his laughter into a light chuckle.<br/>
“Heh, you’re welcome son.” </p><p>They sat there for a while, the delicate glow of the fairy lights hugging them as they hugged each other.  It could have gone on for much longer too, had Sonic not disrupted the peace with his sudden snoring. Only then did Tom notice that the exhausted hedgehog was fast asleep, his head buried into the red flannel that Tom was wearing. 	Tom chuckled again; he had found himself doing that quite a lot since Sonic had recovered. </p><p>Tom lifted his lethargic son, shifting him to the opposite end of his bed and tucking him in.<br/>
“Sleep well, bud-” Tom paused, and smiled, “Sleep well, son.” </p><p>-------------</p><p>Tom had barely reached the bottom of the stairs when he was ambushed by a borderline frantic doctor who was shooting out questions faster than a trigger-happy child with a laser gun.<br/>
“Is he alright?” Robotnik demanded to know, trying to push past Tom as he spoke.<br/>
“He’s okay. He’s sleeping right n-”<br/>
“Are you sure? I should go check. Get his,,, temperature,, or something,” Robotnik didn’t really know what he was saying. He was unaccustomed to the raw concern that buried itself within him.<br/>
“He’s ok, doc. Let him rest for a bit,” Tom tried to reassure Robotnik. The doctor growled at this, though he wasn’t angry.<br/>
“Fine…” he mumbled, trying to sound bitter but ultimately failing.<br/>
Robotnik reluctantly turned and stepped theatrically down the stairs, Tom following not too far behind.  </p><p>Maddie and Stone were in the kitchen together, patiently waiting for their counterparts to return.  Maddie greeted Tom with an inquisitive glance, making it clear that she wanted to know what the situation was.</p><p>“He’s sleeping,” Tom answered the non-verbal question as he took Maddie’s hands into his own, “Honestly, I’m surprised he didn’t pass out sooner.”<br/>
“I suppose movie night will have to be postponed until tomorrow,” Maddie joked, although she really didn’t care about that.<br/>
“Yup, I guess so,” Tom replied. He didn’t care either.<br/>
The couple pulled each other closer, embracing tightly. All they cared about was that their son was safe and happy again.<br/>
“I love you, Tom,” Maddie whispered.<br/>
“I love you too, Mads.”</p><p>Their words, in reality, were barely audible, but it felt like they filled the walls like a song for everyone to hear. Even those who didn’t have a taste for such a melody were drawn in. Robotnik’s eyes diverged from the empty spot on the wall they had been fixated on, and wandered to lay their gaze upon the smiling agent leaning against a nearby counter. Robotnik really did love that smile. </p><p>The doctor could have stared forever, but it was only a matter of time before Stone noticed and looked back with an expression of mixed happiness and confusion. Robotnik snapped his eyes away, internally reprimanding himself for his own foolishness, and hoping the heat dancing on his face was merely the result of the temperature.</p><p>Tom and Maddie ended their hug, and turned to address Robotnik and Stone.<br/>
“Does anyone want anything to eat or drink?” Maddie asked, kindly.<br/>
Robotnik, in an attempt to drown out the awkwardness he was feeling, spoke up.<br/>
“You know, Agent Stone here makes a kick-ass latte.”</p><p>---------------</p><p>Sonic awoke late the next day. It was far into the evening by this time and the sun already sat low in the sky, casting a pleasant citric glow on the quiet town of Green Hills. He yawned deeply as he pushed himself out of bed and began to shuffle down the stairs, stretching out his legs with each step. It was halfway down when a familiar scent met his nose. </p><p>Sonic gasped in delight, and almost tripped when he sped the rest of the way down.<br/>
“You made chilli dogs!!” He yelled, excited out of his mind when he crashed into the kitchen to see Maddie finalising his favourite dish. Sonic dived at Maddie with no warning, forcing her into a tight hug.<br/>
“Woooah, hey there little muffin,” Maddie giggled as she returned the hug.<br/>
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!” Sonic was jumping now, unable to contain his pure joy. </p><p>It was only then that Sonic spotted the dark figure on the opposite side of the room. His eyes widened further, somehow filling with even more happiness.<br/>
“You did invite Eggman! Oh thank you!” Sonic spilled his thanks with no filter.<br/>
Upon hearing his ‘name’, Robotnik looked up from the floor. The expression on his face was that of a slight surprise; he hadn’t anticipated such a warm welcome.  </p><p>The bubbly hedgehog bounced over to the doctor with a wide smile spread across his face.<br/>
“Hey Eggman! Guess what!” Sonic chirped, “Now that you and Mr Rock are here, we can have the bestest movie night ever! Like one super big, super epic family!”<br/>
Robotnik smiled, genuine and unmocking. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when the blue blur jumped up and tapped him on the nose.</p><p>“What the fuuu-” Robotnik trailed off as Maddie shot him a dirty look, like almost swearing in front of Sonic was the worst thing he had ever done.<br/>
“Ahaha! Boop!” Sonic laughed.<br/>
Robotnik bent down to Sonic’s height, looking at him skeptically.<br/>
“What is this thing you call a…’boop’?” he quizzically asked the hedgehog.<br/>
“It’s fun, you should try it!” the blue ball squeaked.<br/>
Robotnik peered down at one of his gloved hands, before hesitantly reaching out and returning the ‘boop’. Sonic immediately erupted into a fit of giggles, like a young child who recently discovered what a balloon is.<br/>
“Come on, you two,” Maddie spoke, her face beaming with merriment, “This movie night has been held off for long enough.”</p><p>------------</p><p>The living room was already set up for the movie night, with the food spread across the table, and the lights dimmed down to a hazy amber. It reflected their previous movie nights, although, this time it felt warmer. Stone had insisted on helping Maddie prepare, which is why there was a new addition to the table. Four steaming lattes and one highly decorated hot chocolate were positioned perfectly between the sizzling chilli dogs. </p><p>Tom was already sat down, flicking through Netflix, searching for the comedian that Stone had mentioned to him earlier (some fairly odd man by the name of John Mulaney). Finally finding what he was looking for, Tom put down the remote and invited Maddie and Sonic into his arms. Robotnik placed himself next to Stone on the couch. They were close, but not uncomfortably so.</p><p>The buzzing from the TV and the heat from the meal kept them warm against the cold that fell like a curtain with the darkness outside. Despite everything that had happened, they were happy. Sonic found himself paying little attention to the screen, instead gazing in awe at the scene around him. He smiled at the people surrounding him; he smiled at his family. It was all he had ever dreamt of.</p><p>“I’m so glad I have you guys,” Sonic said softly, “I love you all.”</p>
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